ANNABEL ROBERTS

I have been using clay for almost as long as I can remember, starting, like many, with pinched and coiled shapes at school. I have always loved how immediate and responsive it is as a material. After my degree at Camberwell College of Art I made tiles, working on restoration projects and supplying local shops as well as private commissions. However, after starting a family, my ceramic practice rested for a while.

When I came back to making, it was a great joy to rediscover the tactile nature of clay, and how, when making, the form grows through the conversation between hands, heart and material.  Most of my work now is made using the traditional technique of coiling, a slow method ideally suited to the way I like to work.

I aim to make pieces which, while they can be used, are not identical. Platters and bowls are pushed and stretched until they reach a natural balanced resting point, with the rims coming to an organic finish.  Vessels are encouraged to be full in shape, emphasising a feeling of containment and the idea of holding internal space.

I tend to stay in a narrow colour palette of whites and greys and earth tones, and I build up the surface of each piece using layers of slip, engobe and glaze, looking for a feeling of quiet depth in the finished work.

My studio is situated in a converted farm building and looks out over fields and woodland.  Everywhere around me is a wealth of texture and weathered surfaces, all of which inspires my work.  

All of my work can be used, unless stated otherwise. The bowls and platters are safe for food, the vessels are watertight.

Wash by hand.